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CDBridgesRV7A

Active Member
Shop Head Rivet Gauge

Good Day,

Could someone please explain to me the proper use of this tool? I bought mine from Plane Tools. I set my first 12 rivets tonight and went to use the guage but I'm not sure which way it goes. Does the rivet have to fit under the knotch, or not? Does the rivet have to fit inside the knotch, or not?

Thanks for the help!

Cheers

Chris
 
Go-NoGo

If the rivet gage is like most, it has a drilled hole on one end and a notch on the other. If you place the hole over the shop head and the gage rattles around, you haven't set the rivet enough. The notch on the other end indicates if the rivet is stetting too high (or low if the shop head is squished). Your best bet is to find another builder or technical counselor in your area and practice some. They can also help out with technique and short cuts.
 
I struggled with the same thing...

Good question...

I assume these are the same as sold by Avery Tools. The shop head should not quite fit under the notch (height), and should not quite fit inside the hole (width) and should meet all other requirements of FAA Advisory Circular AC-43. At first I thought they should "just fit", and had to re-do some of my first attempts.

(By "not quite fit" I mean the shop head should be higher than the notch and bigger than the hole)

Edit: Like John said, it's a go-nogo gauge: if the shop head fits under the notch, or if it fits inside the hole, it's "NOGO".
 
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I'm familiar with the general guide lines for rivet installation that the shop head diameter should be 1.5D and the height should be .5D. This is about all the detail that I can find in AC43.13.

I have one article that shows acceptable range of Min 1.25D to Max 1.66D with corresponding head height of .66D to .33D, but I can not document the source of this article.

Is there a NASA or Mil-Spec reference that shows the shop head tolerances and inspection standards for AD rivets?

Thanks.
 
rule of thumb

Hi Rick,

Rule of thumb for a correct driven rivet, 1.5D dia and .5D hight. If you really want a spec I might be able to search at work, I'm sure others might already have the spec.

Cheers

Nick
 
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